Parents' Cheat Sheet To Teen Bedroom Organization

Let’s face it, teens pretty much have an opinion and something to say about MOST things. More times than not, it won’t be the same opinion as yours but that’s okay. That’s part of what being a teen’s about! Learning where to pick battles and when to realize others may actually know what they’re talking about.

Teen bedroom organization could very well be a place you can find common ground. You want the room to look like a tornado has NOT gone through their room in the middle of the night and they want to be able to find their favorite pair of Converse without digging through piles of laundry. It’s worth a shot, right? So, try these out: teen bedroom organization tips everyone can be happy with.

Step #1 before EVERYTHING else: declutter

Really, this is the tip to any organizing project you’ve got. It’s a complete waste of time to organize things you don’t/won’t use, and it takes up precious space! Get ‘em gone! This can, in itself, be a huge project, so pace yourself and divide into “decluttering” and “organizing” to avoid burnout. I’ve got some tips for tackling decluttering here if you’re getting stuck!

Teen bedroom organization tips: closet

I feel like there should be dramatic music here. “The closet…..DUN DUN DUN”. And yeah, it’s a huge part of the organization of a room. But it can be less intimidating if it’s broken into chunks.

First: the clothes themselves. It sounds silly, but get hangers that areall completely the same. Super simple trick, but it makes things LOOK more organized and LAY better next to each other. Next up, try to get the clothes in some sort of order. I’ve seen short-sleeved/long-sleeved, I’ve seen by color, whatever will work works in this situation. It has to be user-friendly or the user won’t.

Another part of the closet (and the whole room, to be honest) is that the bins/containers, baskets should be as uniform as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got quite a bit of boho bubbling inside me. And I’d love nothing more than a few handcrafted artisan baskets where no two are the same. But they don’t lend themselves to stacking well. And that’s what you want here.

Also part of the closet to keep in mind is the vertical space. It’s super easy to get caught up in the horizontal, like we were just talking about. But there’s often plenty of space above the clothes rack and below. And don’t forget the door!

In any closet I suggest building shelves up as far in the closet as possible. If you stop with the shelf on top of the clothing rack you’re robbing yourself of prime organizational territory. Is it hard to get to the shelves way up high? Perhaps. But you’ve got the option to store snow boots or sandals….things you don’t need year-round and can easily grab with a stepstool. Make sure to makeboxes filled with similar items (all softball clothes as opposed to a snowsuit and a swimsuit) and label all bins and boxes! You don’t want to get up there and realize you’ve brought down the wrong box.

Last but not least, consider both sides of the closet door! It’s perfect for shallow hooks, over the door organizers, even putting white boards or cork boards if you’re short on wall space elsewhere. Consider it as additional wall space. More on wall organization later, but now onto…

Teen bedroom organization tips: furniture

Teen bedroom furniture is a great chance to invest in some quality pieces that the teens can use at home (and beyond) as well as provide some much-needed corralling for the clutter. Larger furniture in this category you’ll probably be familiar with. We’re talking dressers, armoires, nightstands.

But don’t discount hidden storage like storage ottomans that can double as extra seating for friends while hiding their shoes. One of my very faves that I only discovered later in life was under bed storage. There’s just something so rewarding about sliding those containers under the bed, out of sight.

Another trend I’ve seen are clothes rack like you’d see in a store or capsule wardrobe. Basically, it’s a small rack that holds a few shirts that can stand alone if there isn’t a closet or display if there are a few special pieces. It can easily veer into “cluttered” territory, so use this one thoughtfully.

Teen bedroom organization tips: desk

To start with, clear as many things away as you can. Less visual stimulation equals (somewhat) less distraction. With this in mind, get a desk with drawers. I totally go for the clean lines of a Parsons desk, but the stuff you need just has to stay out if you’re using it. Drawers, my friend, drawers!

The necessities left at the desk should be grouped and corralled as much as possible. This is a great place to add some individuality. Put the pencils in a cute mug. Use a fun ring dish or tray for paper clips. Baskets and bins are also your friends.

While we want them concentrating, it has to be an inviting area or no one will want to stay there. Plus: choosing fun stuff often equals teen buy-in!

Teen bedroom organization tips: walls

Walls, my friend. Walls are often overlooked in organization. It’s a shame because there’s so much potential! Sure, there should absolutely be posters of favorite bands, heartthrobs or movies. But for the rest, you’ve got a plan!

I’m going to divide this topic into two sections. This first one will be one you’re familiar with: boards. I’m talking white boards, pin boards, cork boards, message boards. Boards, boards, boards!! Use as many as you can (and it’ll help keep holes out of the walls. Help, not prevent).

When my boys’ play room turns into their study area, I’m covering an entire wall in cork board. I’m a visual person, so the more I can see what I’m focusing on (what’s really important and not all the other noise) the better I work!

Next is organization by display. Here you’ve got shelving, hooks, all that jazz. For the longest time I had a hook just inside my front door that I would immediately sling my keys onto. Helped immensely. Apply that same principal here. Need to know where that backpack is? Hang a hook for it!

Display is another way to get things you don’t absolutely need every second out of the way. In one room I made a gallery wall of the young man’s hats. He could see all his favorites, they weren’t on the floor, and it had a charismatic twist on the typical gallery wall. Bingo!

Now that we’ve talked about a few teen bedroom organization tips I send you off to confidently tackle those rooms! But, as everything teen (really, anything “kiddo”) there’s really only so much you can do. It takes effort from both sides. So know that these tips can really help, but give yourself grace if your teen wants to discover this on their own (i.e. I’m not doing ANYTHING you suggest). You’ve got these tools in your pocket, ready for when they’re ready.